European Delivery Program

[JayW]

...for cars. Anyone had any experience with this? Asheville BMW sent me a qoute for almost 6% off the MSRP on a 2011 made-to-order 3-series if I use their program. BMW pays for my wife's airline ticket, we get a tour of the factory in Munich, use the car for our vacation there, drop it off at the coast when we're done, and take delivery again at my local dealer in 6-8 weeks. I am also considering the Audi A5 and they advertise 5% off MSRP with their program.

 

It sounds like this would be a lot of fun and a good way to bond with the car. I can also get exactly the color, interior, and options I want, and I won't have to pay for those I don't. What I am not clear about is whether or not there is any additional negotiation room in the price beyond the standard discount. I asked the sales manager this question, but didn't get a straight answer. Maybe I could get a better price if I just bought one off the lot. Also, I am not too comfortable with the thought of some 21 year-old employee having free reign with my new manual transmission car as he pilots it from who-knows-where to my local dealer after it crosses the ocean. Any other risks, hidden costs or warnings?

 

Thanks,

 

Jay

[notacop]

Bonding with your car? Are you getting Family Leave at work to accomplish this?

[JayW]

Bonding with your car? Are you getting Family Leave at work to accomplish this?

 

I doubt it, though I am pretty excited about getting another one. I had my last car for over 10 years before it got submerged overnight in a flood. Though just a thing, I kept it like new for 196,000 miles and, well, grieved a little when I walked out of that hotel and found it full of mud. The used the one I quickly bought to replace it has never quite satisfied. I really enjoy driving, and it's time to find one that makes me smile again when I get behind the wheel. Bonding may be overstating it, but you get the idea.

 

Jay

[David13]

Any car gets transport to the dealer so if you buy out of dealer inventory, it was transported the same way. So leave that factor out.

Then you are left with ... why not?

dc

[yabadabapal]

Actually, I bond with my car everyday, for real. When I get in it and buckle up for the beginning of the day, I always give the dashboard a little pat as a way of letting the car and myself know that we will take good care of each other for the day. I certainly do the same before getting on a motorcycle. And at the end of the day I always give the veihicle a little pat and say thanks.

 

[Ken H.]

Not personally, but a co-worker did it with Volvo. She and another had a great time and the car arrived perfect, even with the maps they had left in the car still there.

 

But ISFA the deal, not so much. She basically paid MSRP with a token discount, 2% or something like that. Whereas had she been a savvy negotiator she could likely have saved 1000s more. Enough to have paid for the trip separately? I don’t think she did the math, but what I suspect it boiled down to is, in effect, she financed a vacation in with the car’s loan.

 

These types of things are rarely set up with the end consumer in mind. Everyone along the chain has to make their cut regardless. IMHO factory delivery programs are little more than a way to eliminate meaningful price negotiating.

 

Not to say don’t do it, just recognize you are funding the trip with a poorer deal on the vehicle.

 

[lawnchairboy]

my impression is the same as Ken's... specifically in regards to a couple of military guys I know who did the Beemer euro delivery program. Didn't really seem like the price they reportedly got was really all that spectacular when compared to others who purchased stateside.

 

chris

[Deadboy]

We met someone on our last flight to Europe who was doing it and he said it basically is enough of a discount to cover the trip....but he felt it was well worth it (apparently was the 3rd or 4th time he has done it). Looks like a fun experience....

[moshe_levy]

I had a co-worker who did it - he saw Europe for the first time and was thrilled with the experience. Why not?

 

-MKL

[Mike]

I did this with a Volvo many years ago. At least at that time, the "discounted" prices were still negotiable. Since any BMW or Audi dealer could place the order for you, it's worth doing a lot of comparison shopping. Five or six percent off of MSRP is not necessarily a great deal, compared to what you might be able to negotiate for a car delivered in the U.S., but I suppose you have to consider the whole package and whether, overall, it is a good deal. It would be a blast to take delivery of a high performance BMW or Audi in Europe, where you could wring it out a bit more than here in the U.S.

 

If you're looking strictly at the financial aspects, you don't usually realize much in savings unless you take an extended vacation in Europe. Since car rental costs are pretty high there, if you're going for a four to eight week vacation, it can really pay off. Insurance is normally handled through the manufacturer's delivery program, but you should verify coverage up to the point of U.S. delivery.

 

I don't think there are a lot of issues other than what you've probably already considered. The biggest negative to these programs is the fact that you have to wait some time for your car to arrive in the U.S., so if you are really dependent on having the car available to you, it doesn't work. Also, a fairly high percentage of these cars end up smashed up by overexuberant new owners. I presume that you're up to the task of handling a new vehicle on unfamiliar roads at autobahn speeds, but it's worth considering the question.

 

It's been a while since I did this or looked at it seriously, but my impression when I did start crunching the numbers is that it doesn't necessarily net you much, if anything, in savings. The real benefit is being able to drive your cool new car through Europe.

 

[JayW]

I appreciate all the thoughts and comments. I am going to the International Auto Show in Detroit later this month and it will be helpful for me to compare all 4 of the contenders under one roof at once . I've already driven all of them but one. After making a tentative decision I think I'll visit some different dealers and see how receptive they are to negotiations. After all, they won't have to babysit this particular car until it sells, and it seems to me that they won't have to do much else either, so why can't they pass some of that savings on to me? I'll make my visits at the end of the month when the sales manager is trying to get the quotas met. If nobody will budge off the standard discount, then I'll have to decide if the price difference, if any, is worth the benefits. I also just got a contact number via PM (thanks, Richard_D ) of someone who recently did just what I am considering, and his perspective will no doubt be helpful.

 

Jay

[Nice n Easy Rider]

Jay,

When you run the math be sure to calculate what it would cost you to rent a comparable car for your vacation. I'm sure the rates (and insurance) would be pretty hefty for a BMW so that savings should be considered (assuming you would rent such a car for such a vacation). As others have pointed out, even if it is a "wash" money-wise, it sure sounds like it could be the basis for a great vacation.